Why Ninjitsu?

In this blog I am going to address something here... The answer to the question of why I have dedicated myself to Ninjitsu.

As we know thanks to the honest academic research of Anthony Cummins & Yoshie Minami, the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team and many unnamed Japanese scholars not mentioned but no less deserving of credit... (Allow me personally, to say "Thank You.") We know ninjutsu is not a martial art.

Yes, I call my martial art Black Dragon Ninjitsu but, I also refer to it as American Ninjutsu or Modern Ninjutsu. This is because when I was training with the Omoto family initially, Reginald Martin called it Omoto Ryu Ninjutsu. His father-in-law called it Ninjitsu. Kiyoshi Omoto (Western style of the name where Surname proceeds family name) called it simply Budo or Martial Way, as an all encompassing art of fighting, strategy and tactics with a philosophical guide to live by and approach life.

Now not all Budo has the same guidelines for this philosophical path... The term -do doesn't always represent Daoist/Taoist roots but a personal codified path to living.

1. Judo tends to embrace a more Taoist path of going with the flow...
2. Aikido tends to follow a more or less Shinto path with some Buddhist & Taoist concepts.
3. Karatedo has a different pathway in that it teaches a Bushido & Zen and/or Taoist mindset in dealing with issues head on but, not looking for trouble.
4. Kyudo (archery) teaches a philosophy of acting without regard for outcome... A very Zen (Japanese pronunciation of Chen) Buddhism & Taoism based concept.
5. Kendo (Japanese fencing) based heavily in Bushido (Japanese Warrior Philosophy) & Shinto.

Now I know and you should realize their are differences between styles and schools of Budo not just among Karatedo and Judo, for example but one Judo school and other judo schools. You have to understand a bit of modern Japanese history.

For the four years during American Occupation of Japan Bujutsu (martial arts) were illegal. Jugaro Kano pioneered Budo by turning Jujutsu into a sport. Even in the modern Military self-discipline and good character where stressed for more practical reasons. Where as martial arts as the methods of warfare, budo is the Way of War...

What do I mean by way of war? Well first, the term way here means a Philosophical path. So way is the philosophical path of embracing life as a matter of war or conflict. The same Self-Discipline used by a warrior in the heat of battle is also useful to the Philosophical Warrior in dealing with Social, Societal and various other forms of hardship. The same good character stressed by the warrior is useful to the philosophical warrior in dealing with those same forms of hardship.

More so, it make training in Martial Arts (fighting techniques) still possible as one wasn't practicing combat arts but, philosophical sports for the betterment of individual character development.

So what was the Omoto Ryu Budo Philosophy? Omoto Ryu Budo stressed approaching life as if a warrior about to go to battle. Every action had a purpose & every purpose brought you closer to a specific goal.

Omoto Ryu Budo has 10 simple philosophical principles, part of the 5 element philosophy of warfare;

1. Plant opportunity in many places in advance indirectly & harvest it when ready, directly...
2. Focus on achieving small goals, while have a clear vision of your end goal...
3. Build a strong place from which to take direct action...
4. Deal with all problems as soon as possible so that they do not grow larger...
5. Allow events to take care of themselves and do not become fixated on a solution...
6. Do not, allow others to control your path when you are beginning...
7. Do not, become lazy or complacent in good fortune...
8. Do not, allow friendship to blind you to deception...
9. Do not, let others gain more from your effort then you gain for yourself...
10. Do not, depend on events to resolve themselves...

These principles combined with the study of psychological manipulation and controls. Combined with the study of strategic thinking and planning, as well as, various methods conditioning the mind and body follows the same path as all budo. Bushido is a part of cultural and philosophical training as well, because the idea is not to train warriors but to train the Warrior Within. 

Our struggles may be different but, we all have to develop the Warrior within ourselves to face and overcsome our struggle. How we deal with that struggle defines us, it is how the world sees us and it is what makes us "Warriors." 

None of which explains why I call my art Black Dragon Ninjitsu. I use the study of martial arts (fighting techniques) & the training methods thereof to condition the body and develop the mind before I address the Higher elements of Ninjitsu. The term Ninjitsu or Ninjutsu is a reference to that subject matter and as a modern system I can teach call whatever I like.

However, in calling it Ninjitsu/Ninjutsu I open the door to comparison and study of the Historical Ninjutsu as well.

The Goal of the Black Dragon Ninjitsu Home Study Course

Ninjutsu is not a martial art, in the historical sense...

Ninjutsu is not the Art of Invisibility, in the historical sense...

Ninjutsu is not the Art of Invisibility, in the sense of Japanese language skills...

What is Ninjutsu?

Ninjutsu is the Invisible Art. Things done that are not meant to be seen, so they are hidden "invisible" to all but the puppeteers behind the curtain pulling the strings. Ninjutsu is the clandestine operations of Japanese samurai and those same skills have been morphed into other professions like intelligence operatives, military scouts, police investigators and some even say, adopted by the Yakuza (Japanese organized crime) for the purposes of smuggling, blackmail, murder and various other misdeeds.

So what is Black Dragon Ninjitsu?

Black Dragon Ninjitsu is the art pioneered by me based on it's roots in Omoto Ryu Budo, which did contain ninjutsu. Mixed with my own insights and experiences from other martial arts, Black Dragon Ninjitsu is more of a paramilitary and survival art then a martial art in the strictest sense of the word. Unfortunately, as dangerious as the world is becoming and need for such skills by everyday people growing, there isn't much interest in Modern Ninjitsu (I use the "Ninjutsu" & "Ninjitsu" spellings interchangeably) outside the military or the militia. So Black Dragon Ninjitsu is meant to be the first paramilitary competition ninjutsu-style in the world... While that sinks in.

The difference in spelling using the "i" or "u" is irrellivant as the Japanese written script of kanji has no English spelling, as it is a logographic (meaning Kanji are ideographs; meaning that the whole character conveys a meaning rather then just a phonic word, similar to how pictographs have a certain meaning which displayed by the image.) Kanji literally means Chinese Character.

Romanji or literally Roman Characters or Roman Letters in English, does have a spelling but the three main forms of Romanji are Hepburn Romanji which was abolished in 1994 and replaced with Revised Hepburn Romanji, Nihon-shiki Romanji which was created by the Japanese and pre-dates Hepburn Romanji and Kunrei-shiki Romanji which is a revised form of Nihon-shiki Romanji.

The difference in the spelling of "i" or "u" also a common argument among Jujitsu/Jujutsu practicers as among ninjutsu/ninjitsu practicers is the difference of a long or short vow. Because the "i" or "u" of Jutsu is a short vow it many times phonically comes across as soft "u" which to the original Hepburn Romanji system was spelled as "i" and was sometimes spelled with a "u" by more experienced Japanese speakers in the West, with no official spelling since about the 1970s, it was not formally added to revised Hepburn Romanji system until 1994, though informally existed in use since almost 20 years before that.

Romanji Spelling aside, the Kanji is the same...

Why does the world need Competition Ninjutsu & How Would Such a Competition work?

This is real question... First off when I was in the U.S. Army, we had many different forms of competition. Modern Army Combatives competitions focused on Brazilian Jiujutsu, Puggle Stick competitions to simulate bayonet fighting and force on force small teams warfare competitions between fireteams. Larger force on force competitions between Brigades and Companies to test the leadership and strategic planning of officers as well as the fighting skills of enlisted soldiers.

Note: Achievements #2 & #3... ARTEP stands for Army Training and Evaluation Program, a massive force on force "War Game" testing different units against each other at all levels. Also note Monthly competitions in Hand-to-Hand Combat and we didn't compete because it was fun. We competed because I gave an experience to learn from...

It was fun and it taught us so much, so why do we need Competition Ninjutsu? Because it will give us an opportunity to grow, learn and take the study of warfare as more then history lessons and Live Action Role-Playing (LARPing) in Samurai Armor. It would be fun...

How would such a Ninja Competition Work? Simple, lets bring in the ninjas open to all arts & systems not just "Ninjutsu" or Black Dragon Ninjitsu... As an old member of Ashida Kim's forum Big Lew used to say "The proof is in the pudding." Now I don't agree with Lew that competition proves anything, you can't sum up all of an art by how a person does in competition. But, you can learn from experience and build yourself up by testing yourself...  We never disagreed there, competition would provide a chance to learn and adapt your thinking.

Such a competition would be a 3 to 5 day event, everyone would get together camp out, venders could sell things, authors could do book signings and there would be events...

We of course would open up with a martial arts tournament, similar to, if not MMA rules...
From there would a Self-Defense competition, different scenarios to which someone has to react. Some of it using social controls and interactions and other applying techniques and judged on 3 things: simplicity, effectiveness and accordance with lawful use of force. Weapons competitions would include shuriken throwing, knife throwing and archery. Knife-sparring using chalk knives, stick and staff competitions using pugil sticks and sword competitions on both cutting and kendo like fencing competitions. We could use variations of pugil sticks to simulate spear fighting. Add encryption and decryption code breaking competitions, stealth and camouflage competitions, obstacle course races and end it all with a Night time Small Teams Warfare Competition...

Each "Army" would be broken down into two teams. A 5-man defending team armed with paintball guns & kendo sticks, protecting an objective. A 5-man infiltration force armed with blowguns to shoot paintballs, chalk knives for sentry removal and kendo sticks. The "missions" for each army may be different, get inside and set a bomb: colored smoke device (sabotage), steal the enemy plans and get them back to their base wins (espionage) or kill the enemy commander, behead the dumby and bring the head back to the base wins (assassination). Infiltrating teams can engage on the battle field or sneak past. Defenders can to re-organized into infiltrating teams. Any paintball hit to the head or body, counts as a "kill" and team member is removed from the battle.

If no Army, achieves its objective both have last their battles, mutual destruction. First Army to complete its objective wins.

Why do we need this?
Because there is so much to ninjutsu then just Jujutsu (taijutsu) in a Black Gi and this is an opportunity for everyone interested in Ninjutsu, Ninjas, Clandestine and Convert warfare, Military Combatives, Self-Defense and martial arts to get together to learn from each other, to compete with others and learn find out own weakness and find ways to improve upon them.

How does this begin?
It begins with the Black Dragon Ninjitsu Home Study Course it is the only way I can ensure those involves have the needed skills. You don't need to buy the videos, you can sell the DVDs or trade them purchase isn't a requirement. Once you have your 9th Kyu rank, you can organize a study group of up 4 other people, they don't need to buy their own DVDs, just enroll in the program and submit the weekly testing videos. This gives you someone to train with and practice your techniques against, have a living breathing opponent. As the senior belt you are incourage of getting everyone together and organizing your groups training.

If you reach Shodan, you can rank others up to 1st Kyu/Ikkyu and even teach Black Dragon Ninjitsu as an assistant instructor, requiring all Shodan to come to West Virginia for the 3 Bootcamp and testing. Then compete in the Black Dragon Ninjitsu Ninja Competition against others, other systems and gain some knowledge about yourself that help you to grow as martial artist and a person.

Black Dragon Ninjitsu isn't about doing things my way... Its about finding your own way. By the time you reach shodan you should have the same techniques as me and your own unique style of making them work for you. In a Ninja Competition, the goal is learning about yourself... your strengths and your weaknesses so that you can improve you. So while everyone might be competing they are also learning from one another and becoming better for it.

Because it is not just about Competition, its about cooperation and growth...